Release
by Maetel
Summary: A DoctorRose reunion fic with one of my own standard twists. Set post Doomsday with minor spoilers for Gridlock and The Last of the Time Lords.


Release

Author: screamcreation

Spoilers: Doomsday, Gridlock, Utopia, The Sound of Drums, The Last of the Time Lords. Anything learned about Jack during Series 3.

Rating: PG

Author's Notes: I think I've been working on Darlig Ulv too much. This was inspired after watching Series 3 and while working on my other fic.

Summary: Can't really say much without leaking too many spoilers. Just it's going to be slipping from Rose's perspective at first to the events of Gridlock at the end. I hope everyone enjoys this fic. Thanks.

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Today was a day of reckoning. Rose had never thought that she'd live to see beyond the end of her own world twice. Much less almost half a century beyond. She felt as though she'd been everywhere, and she probably had come close to it. Something about the way she felt just rang with a somber sort of tone.

She walked through the streets of the last remaining completely human civilization left. Cassandra had said she was the last human, but in the end, she was wrong. At least, in this universe she was- Well, had been. Unlike the first time she'd met the skin flap, Cassandra hadn't made if off of Platform One.

A lot had differed from that point. So many different species had been in attendance. When going over the list of those lost the day the Earth had burned, Rose only recognized two – Cassandra O'Brian and the Mox of Balhoon. She sighed quietly at the memory of the impish blue alien and how he'd wound up spitting on her as a gift.

It wouldn't be until she actually visited his home planet almost a century before that it was almost customary for those in power to exchange fluids in such a manner. She had finally adjusted to the idea of spitting on someone she respected, but it wasn't until after ten years of living there. Ten years that had spanned the equivalent of a blink in the eyes of Rose Tyler.

She stopped in front of a small grocer's shop window and studied her reflection. She lifted her hand to her reflection and ran a hand over the cheek of the image. She couldn't remember the last time she dared to look herself in the mirror, but she recalled having light brown hair that had grown down to the small of her back. She'd weighed a bit more back then. That was customary, if she recalled correctly.

Now she looked... Different. Her eyes had drastically changed over time. They'd been hazel for years, millennia even. Until the year 200,100. Vague inklings as to why haunted her, but nothing ever concrete. The looked odd against her lightly bronzed skin. She looked almost underweight with short blue hair thanks to whatever was in the water. She'd almost laughed when she'd noticed the change. Since then though, she'd simply taken to cutting it before it grew out too much . At least she wasn't the only one. Many of the remaining humans had developed oddly colored hair in this community. Pink and blue had become as common as blonde and brown had been when she was younger.

"Rose?" questioned the soft voice of a child. When Rose had turned to look at the violet haired youth, she smiled softly. Adelle, who was deceptively youthful looking. Rose had adopted her almost seven years before, wanting to ease some of the loneliness she'd felt as well as give a life to a child she'd grown to love. Adelle had been twelve when she was adopted and as shy as some of the people Rose barely recalled meeting with her travels with the Doctor.

The violet haired young woman looked nervous, almost trembling as she tried to gather the words she wanted to say. Ever since she was a child, Adelle had always had a hard time when delivering what she thought might be bad news. Or odd news. Or any news that she thought wouldn't make others happy.

"Take a deep breath, Adelle. Just try to relax. Whatever it is-"

"A ship just appeared in the infirmary," she blurted out. "No idea where it's origin is, but you seem to get along with travelers so well that I thought I should tell you."

Rose blinked at her, a look of disbelief. Unknown ships were a rarity. She'd cataloged every type of ship that she could recall seeing. There were micro-dots upon micro-dots that simply cataloged the ships from Rose's first three hundred years. Nano-chips and molecular drives covered many of the next billions of years. After that, Rose has lost track of everything else that held information. Last she checked, the information was being imprinted upon the memory of babies. A fascinating practice, though probably no longer in use.

She started towards the infirmary, almost three kilometers away, listening as Adelle described the ship. It supposedly looked like many of the small booths that craft makers had placed up, but it was closed. Rose knew that Chameleon circuits had been developed hundreds of millions of years ago. And over eons, they'd been miniaturized to the point of almost being completely undetectable. She'd seen as much when she'd been attacked during an assassination attempt after she'd been associated with the new minister of the Drakson Empire almost thirty years ago. She'd just been a friend, but apparently, friends were dangerous when leading a society composed of species-purists.

"Has anyone come out?" Rose asked as she tried to think of all of the races that had easy access to chameleon. Many came to mind, but a good third of those were conquering races. Another third consisted of races that wouldn't shield who they were in such a manner. Too many species, not enough memory.

"Not as of yet," Adelle explained as the crowd of people who'd come out to see what the intrusion upon daily life had been. Many looked frightened while others looked completely enthused. Humans had been traversing space for longer than Rose had been alive, though everyone thought that a far smaller expanse of time than she'd actually been. "It's just been sitting th- Wait! What if the pilot was injured?"

Rose quirked an eyebrow at the idea the girl had. It was a possibility, though something was assuring her that injury wasn't the reason why the pilot had come out. She'd gotten used to having mostly accurate gut feelings. Too many years of experience is what she chalked it up to.

They stopped outside of the "booth" and something just hit rose like a duffel full of wet cement. Her head had begun spinning, and for a moment she could have sworn she was seeing the Face of Boe and the Doctor talking. There was a burning sensation against her stomach that spread from one spot and to her hands that were itching to touch the outside of the ship.

Taking a deep breath, Rose stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on the outer layer of cloth that made up the forward wall of the establishment. Her once hazel turned gold eyes took in the sight of what she had been told was a ship. She was studying it so closely that she almost screamed when the curtains parted, and a pale young looking man with sable colored hair and gray eyes stuck his head out.

"Oi, what do you think you're doin'?" he snapped, eyes narrowing slowly. Rose was left speechless for a moment as he seemed to be studying her. She suddenly felt very exposed wearing nothing more than a beige wrap around top, jacket, and long khaki colored skirt made of a very light material.

Over the years, she'd become defensive, and once she got over the initial shock of being taken by surprise, Rose pursed her lips and narrowed her own eyes. "If you need to know, I'm trying to figure out what sort of ship this is. Having a chameleon circuit that functions makes that rather hard to do so."

The stranger seemed to smirk at her words. "So you've seen a ship without a functioning chameleon circuit? What sort of git goes around the universe without a functioning circuit?"

His tone was challenging and Rose suddenly felt all too much like slapping the man in front of her. Instead, she opted to take the high road and raised her head high. "A brilliant one who didn't need one to hide from everyone he ever met because he didn't feel that he should have to hide. Blend in and not annoy the locals too much."

"And what is the name of the person who would speak in such high regard of such a brazen fool?" he asked, a cocky little grin on the man's face that was just getting under Rose's skin.

"Rose Tyler," she said almost proudly. This time it was her turn to smirk. The man's expression turned to one of disbelief and annoyance. "And I did more than speak of him. I traveled with the one you call 'a brazen fool.'"

They could both hear the speedy whispers of various people behind Rose. She almost had to snap at them to stop being such hykens. It was rather embarrassing considering how much she'd tried to keep her past to herself, only to blurt out a nice speck of it to a complete stranger.

"Then pardon me, Rose Tyler, but last I checked, the last time any ship approached this planet was over ten years ago, and you certainly don't look old enough to travel with someone like that."

Rose tapped her foot. "Then you're just going to have to believe that I'm older than I look," she stated.

She expected more of a vocal reaction like a laugh or something, but instead, he leaned over to her and whispered in her ear. "Something tells me you've got nothing on me."

Something about him made her want to reveal every secret she had, and while she kept most in check she couldn't resist the urge to retort in a hushed voice. "Try five billion and some odd years."

He pulled back and looked at her, something akin to shock in his eyes before a different sort of grin, this time an amused one, graced his unshaven features. He tilted his head to the side and smirked. Pulling back, he looked at the crowd before him.

"Well, then, Ms. Tyler," he started, using a title that barely rang as familiar in Rose's mind. "Perhaps, it would be a good idea if we spoke. Away from the prying ears of others, if you do not mind."

"Why should I trust you enough to get away from said 'prying ears'?" she asked, experience tinting her words and thoughts.

"Because, I've a feeling that the glowing on your stomach might be telling you to," he said, pointing to the hem of her shirt where there was a soft golden glow emanating in a key shaped form. She looked up at him, a question in her gaze.

"Who are you?" she asked, a hint of fear, actual fear for the first time in... Rose couldn't remember the last time she'd actually felt scared. She'd seen too much and experienced even more to register the feeling, but this time...

"Talk with me and I'll tell you," he told her with a wink.

Rose looked back to the crowd before nodding. She closely followed him into the ship, but stopped when she saw the far too familiar appearance of the ship. Gone were the coral and aquamarine glow that had often filled the room, but she'd never forget that center console, the bicycle pump, and the seat that she'd so often thought to be a dream.

"Doctor?" she whispered, looking at him for some sort of sign that she was just imagining things. "I thought..."

"Five billion years of existence and you still think that some things are impossible. Figures," he joked, albeit nervously. Rose could almost see the tension rolling off of him as she slowly drifted up to him.

"H-How..." she asked softly as she raised a hand to the side of his face, letting it stay a few centimeters away from the skin. She was afraid that if she touched him, this illusion would fade. She felt a shiver race through her as his hand came up and grasped her in gentle calloused fingers that were faintly yellowed though she wasn't sure why.

He seemed to be thinking of a good way to explain things, and a grin came to his face as he finally thought of one. "Well, honestly. Give time and space enough time to heal itself, and even the most minute scars can reopen without being destroyed com-"

"You crashed here, didn't you?" she asked, not believing him in the slightest.

"And burned, though this time I'll admit it might have been my fault," he admitted softly. "Can I ask how you're still... Most humans die around eighty. Not Five billion eighty. I mean Jack might be the one-"

"Jack?" she asked softly. "What do you mean?"

"I'll explain it. But please, just..."

"I don't know," she sighed quietly. "I've looked the same since I stopped traveling with you- Which regeneration is this by the way?"

"I've gone through the process three more times since..." he explained, a twinge of loss in his voice. "That's why I said this time coming through might have been my fault. I wound up using the rift in Cardiff to get through this time."

Three more processes, meaning body thirteen. She remembered the talk they had after he'd regenerated. He was on his last body. His last chance at life.

Rose had always thought that remembering such details would have been harder, but once she was in the TARDIS, the memories she had of their times together were crystal clear. She could recall everything. The trips through the universe. The times Jackie had gotten aggravated with them. Even the ones of her family shortly after being trapped in the universe parallel to her own sprang to the surface, which wasn't necessarily a good thing.

The memory of her mother and father being killed during a take over by some of the prisoners of Torchwood ripped to the forefront, slamming through Rose's heart like an oversized truck. The images of her brother sacrificing himself when he was barely nineteen to take down this universe's version of the Sycorax forced the tears from her eyes and brought the former blonde to her knees.

"Oh, God..." she heard him mutter as he moved over and knelt by her side. "Rose, what's wrong?" He wanted to comfort her, but had no idea if that right was his anymore. If she was really as old as she said, he was surprised she even remembered him. But then, Jack remembered, and he was older than she was. Granted, he'd also-

"'M'sorry" she hiccuped, slipping back into the pattern of speech she had when she'd first traveled with him. "I just... Memories hit me all over again, and it's been too long since I remembered a lot of my past."

"I-Is there anything that I can do?" he asked, hoping that there was something. Third body, over 400 years later, and he still felt like he would move the world for this woman. If there was one thing about being a Time Lord, it was that emotional and mental attachments stayed strong until a suitable replacement was met. He'd still yet to meet one who inspired him as much as Rose had, and now he never would.

Instead of giving a verbal answer, Rose simply wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in the corduroy jacket he was wearing. He froze for a moment before relaxing and wrapping his arms around her. She just remained there, silent and unmoving in his arms, and he couldn't help wondering what she was thinking.

"Whatever happened to Jack?" she asked softly after a while. "You mentioned him."

"That's an interesting story, honestly. We wound up meeting him before we met him," he said, his cockney accent almost mirroring hers exactly. She pulled back and looked at him quietly, the confusion blatant on her face. He chuckled before continuing. "Do you remember the Face of Boe? Well, the Boe part was actually short for the Boeshane Peninsula, where Jack had lived before joining the Time Agency."

Realization dawned upon the blue haired figure as she looked at the Doctor in disbelief. "Are you saying that Jack was..." He nodded and smiled. "But... The Face of Boe was billions of years after Jack's time. And he looked nothing like Jack. And-"

"And when you healed him during the time you had the Vortex in your head, you forgot to give him a time limit. He lived for five billion more years, Rose," the Doctor explained as he recalled the last time he'd ever seen the Face of Boe. "He never stopped aging, meaning as time went on, his body just kept changing, evolving I suppose you could say."

"You mean he... You said lived for five billion more years. As in past tense," she watched as he nodded, his face turning solemn. "But you said I didn't give him a time limit. I'm guessing that means immortal. How come it's in past tense if-"

"I was there when Jack died, Rose. I saw it happen. He died thirty years after we arrived on New Earth."

Her eyes filled up with tears once again as she thought about what he'd just told her. She'd always wondered what had happened to Jack after they'd left him on the game station. Now she knew. He'd survived. He'd looked up on them with the knowledge that they'd left him stranded, and still he'd been so kind.

"What happened to him?" she asked.

"He sacrificed himself to save the people of New New York," he explained. "He'd been protecting them for years, but everyone was trapped in one of the lower areas of New New York. He gave up the last of his life to make sure they got out. That was the one death he couldn't get away from."

Rose's grip around him tightened as she muttered. "That was why he wasn't listed as one of the dead from Platform one. He wasn't there. We never traveled with him in this universe."

"'Fraid we won't get to either," the Doctor explained as he kept his ears open to the TARDIS. She'd barely made it through the last time they'd come to this universe, and this time around, he knew he didn't have ten years to give up. "The TARDIS can't get us home this time."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, worried and confused all at once.

"We're both on our last legs, Rose. That's why I made the effort to come back here. I knew that nothing was going to happen. Well, I hoped that nothing was going to happen. I just wanted to see you," he said. "I wanted to try and find you, so I had the TARDIS follow back to the key you had, and the last time it ever registered. Took a while for the scan to work, but it did."

She looked down at the key, wondering what exactly he'd meant. One option came to mind, but she wasn't going to entertain that idea. She'd lived to long to consider the idea much.

"And here you are," she whispered softly. "On your last legs." She may not have considered the idea for herself, but for him...

"Everything has its time," he muttered, mirroring just what she heard the Face of Boe saying in her vision.

Rose closed her eyes as she clung to the Doctor. "Don't say that," she pleaded softly. "This isn't your time."

"No... It's ours,"he told her, placing a soft kiss to the top of her head. "Mine and the old girl's. We've seen too much of this universe. Done more than most people ever will. We've had a good life."

Rose understood what he was saying, and as much as she hated it, knew he was right. She was still alive simply because... Well, she suspected it had something to do with the Time Vortex. She'd never given Jack a time limit and the vortex hadn't given her one. Just Jack had found his release in the other universe. She was doubting that she ever would. She'd never really accepted that fact, but now that she was coming face to face with the one presence that had stayed with her for over billions of years, she knew that she'd have to.

"Doctor?" she uttered quietly, trying not to drown out the sound of his hearts within his chest. They were both racing. This trip really had taken more out of him than she'd thought. When he said that he was on his last legs, he hadn't been lying, or metaphorical.

"What is it?" he asked gently.

She felt her heart contract within her chest. She wanted one last thing, but she wasn't sure how to ask. It might be insanely selfish for her to even consider asking for anything. He'd risked his own life to cross into a different universe.

"N-Nothing," she said at the last moment. She'd lived too long to be selfish. She'd had everything, Why ask for anything else?

He frowned faintly before sighing. "Then can I ask you for something?"

"Anything," she told him. She watched as the ends up his lips curled upwards before he kissed her.

This one was different from the ones she'd shared with his previous forms. This one was what she'd shared with the few men who'd filled her life though they never took the Doctor's place. Empathic beings who knew that she needed someone to understand rather than replace. This was the kiss of a lover saying goodbye and knowing it.

It was soft but intense, demanding but gentle. Most of all it was loving. And then, it was over. He had pulled back to look at her as his hand came up to cup her cheek and her lower lip.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "So sorry that I never told you how I felt before Canary Wharf. I always thought that I'd have the time."

"I knew," she told him. "I've always known."

"I know, but I still should have told you all the same," he told her, before kissing her once again. "Rose Tyler, I love you."

She felt her throat contract at the words. She'd imagined them being said for so long. She'd never needed to hear them, but they touched her more than she'd ever thought possible.

He smiled at her and sighed. "Do you think that we could rest in here for a little while. Just... I don't think the TARDIS has very long, and I don't want to desert her."

"Yeah," she assured him. She knew he was right. The faint hum that had entered her mind the moment she'd stepped into the door was fading quickly. "I'd not have it any other way."

"Thank you," he said as he shifted so that he was leaning back against the console, the base of which had widened since their parting eons before. She changed until she was leaning into his side, her head resting over one heart while her hand was over the other.

They sat there for hours before Rose realized that not only had the TARDIS died, but so had the Doctor. His hearts had ceased racing and his breath had stopped escaping. Soft gray eyes had drifted closed, leaving him looking both young and ancient all at once. And as much as she wanted to, Rose couldn't find the tears to cry for him.

She simply sat there, feeling strangely empty and tired. Her own eyes finally fluttered closed as she murmured softly, "I love you, Doctor."

The End.


End file.
